The Vatican forgave John Lennon a couple of days ago for his “more popular than Jesus” comment.

If you don’t remember the story, here’s a rundown of the events that transpired in 1966, pulled directly from Wikipedia:

Lennon complained that nobody heard them play for all the screaming, and their musicianship was beginning to suffer. By the time he wrote his 1965 song “Help”, he said he was subconsciously crying out for help and seeking change. The catalyst for this change occurred on 4 March 1966, when Lennon was interviewed for the London Evening Standard by Maureen Cleave and talked about Christianity by saying: “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I do not know what will go first, rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity…We’re more popular than Jesus now.” Five months later, an American teen magazine called Datebook reprinted part of the quote on its front cover. The American Bible Belt protested in the South and the Midwest, and conservative groups staged public burnings of Beatles’ records and memorabilia. Many radio stations banned The Beatles’ music, and some concert venues cancelled performances. 

It is indeed - a very Christian thing - to “forgive”. But, was forgiveness really necessary to begin with? Take another step back: What benefit did getting upset over it provide in the first place?

Here’s my two cents… 1966 was the height of Beatlemania. The band was months away from calling it quits as a performing band, due in large part to the group’s perception of how absurd things had gotten: The Beatles had become larger than any one of them - John, Paul George or Ringo, and larger as a collective than anyone could have envisioned in their wildest of dreams. John was stating the obvious: Adoring fans and the media had placed him and the rest of the band on pedestals so lofty that the view must have been spectacular. It was a simple example of deification. The result? The public had 4 musical messiahs, the band lived in glass houses begrudgingly, and John simply called everyone out on this fact, but in a way that certainly drew some attention. John wasn’t boastful. Rather, he was sarcastic, sardonic and tired. While he wanted to make music, the world wanted pop culture icons….

Again, just my two cents. 

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Lewis B. Smedes

The kitchen table is where a number of significant life moments take place in my home.

It’s also the place where some of the more insightful, and lighthearted situations arise as well. There are occasions where I wonder just what conversations are taking place at the kitchen table when I’m not around, as is evident in this exchange Gillian and I had over this morning’s ham and eggs:

 Pardon my cell phone’s video quality…

Craigslist is a sociologist’s gold mine…

As I’d posted on Sunday, I found a brownie - half of one, really. I posted my find, complete with an image on craigslist in the lost and found bulletin board, and basically forgot about it. I was being entirely self-indulgent, and self-humoring, and suspected it would go unnoticed for the most part, perhaps occasionally cracking a smile on the unsuspecting, stone-faced surfer…. I fully suspected that the title alone would have been enough to clarify anyone perusing the lost and found that the posting was likely to be satire. The posting is here if you haven’t seen it, or if you just prefer to be lazy, the content of the posting is as follows:

FOUND: One half of a brownie (DTC area) 

I was at work this morning and noticed a brownie was left on the foosball table, and realized immediately that it wasn’t my brownie, as I arrived to work today brownie-less. If this brownie belongs to you, please let me know and I’ll set it aside the next time I get to work for you to pick up from our receptionist. It’s half a brownie, and as far as I can tell without actually eating it, is chocolate.

To my surprise, I actually got a couple of responses…

About half a day after posting it, I received an email response simply stating “You are an idiot.” I can accept that someone might be compelled to anonymously leave the equivalent of a flaming bag of poo on my doorstep/inbox, but this person apparently stewed on my brownie positng, got really mad, and responded a second time, and in a rather acidic fashion. Again, this faceless, unnamed individual clumsily attempted to eviscerate me to the point that my very existence was questioned. Remember: This is as a direct result of a posting about a brownie. A brownie.

I’ve posted their response in its entirety, minus their email address:

You know there are people out there who are looking for a pet or have found a pet who are trying to do the right thing.  How stupid you are to take up space with this crap.  You must have no one that loves you at all. It  is not funny.  You are the reason things like craigs list do not work the way they should. You are an IDIOT! I will report you until they remove your post.  Real People have feelings you jerk. SHUT UP AN MYOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

SOMEBODY needs a self-help book…

Apparently, craigslist isn’t worried about this naysayer, because as of this afternoon, the posting is still there. I guess this “anger ninja” is in the minority.

Another person replied yesterday. This second persons’ response seemed a little more even-tempered.  In fact, “MB” sounds like my kinda people:

Your “Found Brownie” evoked an enlightening chuckle. When owner is found not all is in vain. A quick zap in the microwave will warm and soften it and it should be as good as the first half.  Milk might help too.  May you enjoy more interesting discoveries.  MB from Denver

Lesson for the day: Don’t take yourself - or anyone else for that matter - too seriously.

PEACE.    

I was on my way out the door after my Sunday shift when I passed by the foosball table and spied a lone brownie.

I suppose there isn’t anything all that weird about a baked good sitting somewhere random in the office, but it struck me as odd for a few reasons:

In our building, one can be rest assured that if food is left lying around (deliberately or otherwise) it will be consumed with fervor not unlike a swarm of locusts attacking a field of corn. Likewise - given the factor previously mentioned - folks tend to keep their food under armed guard….

Granted, it happens to be the weekend, and nobody is in the building to swarm…I decided that this brownie might be in trouble, so in an attempt to reunite owner and baked good, I posted my discovery on craigslist. The posting is here if you think this brownie might be yours.

Here is a picture of it so you can compare it to your missing snack. I hope this eases any emotional distress being felt at the notion of this orphaned brownie:

Carry on, wayward brownie… 

I grew up in Golden, in the shadow of the mighty Coors Brewery. I can’t tell you how many items emblazoned with the Coors brand I encountered in my childhood. One only had to walk into Foss Drug store and check out the array of promotional items available to the garden-variety tourist, or proud hometown resident.

My wife Lisa recently took up knitting (she’s already made me a scarf) and her new hobby dredged up a memory from early childhood, and something that qualifies as potentially the high-water mark of 1970’s Golden: The knitted beer can hat.

Maybe these will jog your memory too… 

Even as a kid of 5 or so, I recognized that these things were an anomaly. What I am trying to reconcile today is that I actually want one, not necessarily to wear, but to have as a memento. Perhaps it could be a part of a full ensemble from the era, which also include the hunter-orange down vest, clutter boots and “elephant bell” jeans. 

The stick was recently inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame.

I didn’t even know there was a toy hall of fame, let alone that an ordinary stick would end up in it. Well, there is, and it’s in The  Strong National Museum of Play.

Chris Bensch is the rather excited fellow in the picture below, holding the stick. He is the museum Curator of Collections. His enthusiasm is understood, when you consider that his job is to collect toys and put them in a museum. What kid wouldn’t want that job??? It reminds me of the movie Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium…

This induction business reminded me of some of my favorite things to play with as a young lad… The trusty rock - for skipping, fer example…..

Other favorites from my childhood that were ordinary objects turned into toys that I nominate for entry into the toy h.o.f……

-The cardboard box, which became the spaceship, race car, secret hideout, and when flattened - the perfect grass sled!!

-lawn furniture - especially the folding lawn chair… When placed on their side, and used in conjunction with other side-situated lawn chairs, one had a house of sorts…

-the cigarette lighter in my dad’s County Squire station wagon. great amusement pushing it in and watching it pop out while waiting for the folks to finish up their shopping…

-A table vice: For holding Estes model rocket engines so they could be hacksawed in half, their contents dumped into an ashtray and…

…Never mind. I did some DUMB things as a kid. Amazing I ever made it outta childhood.  

Now this is just darn funny….

Woot!